


i heard enough, this ends now

by PenelopeJadewing



Series: fictober 2018 [6]
Category: Naruto, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Best friend goals, Gen, PROTECT THEM, little bakugou's a brat, midoriya just wants to appreciate his friends in peace, sasuke's actually a pretty good motivational speaker, they're all babies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 10:28:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16217165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PenelopeJadewing/pseuds/PenelopeJadewing
Summary: Without Izuku's knowledge, Sasuke follows him and Bakugou to the park. He's tired of Izuku not being honest about how badly Bakugou is treating him... so Sasuke's going to find out for himself.





	i heard enough, this ends now

Izuku never tells Sasuke what Kacchan says to him.

Just like he never tells his mother where he’s really getting the bumps, the bruises, the scrapes. He can’t just tell her, can’t just tell him. What would they do? What would they think? They’d be angry. They’d probably talk to Kacchan, or Kacchan’s parents, and then what? Maybe Izuku wouldn’t be allowed to play with Kacchan anymore. Or maybe Kacchan would get yelled at.

And then come yell at _him_ more for ratting him out. Yeah, that seems like something he would do.

So Izuku stays quiet. He can handle it. Kacchan’s not really that bad… in fact, if you stay on his good side, he’s really cool. He’s strong and smart and can do lots of different things and do them really well. Everybody likes him—or at least, everybody agrees he’s the most powerful kid in school. Izuku gets the feeling that creates tons of different reactions to Kacchan as a person, and not all of them are good. Like the kids who only follow Kacchan around so they don’t look bad.

That’s not what Izuku’s doing. He sure hopes Kacchan never thinks so. He really just thinks Kacchan is amazing.

Sasuke doesn’t agree. Sasuke says he’s a dumb jerk. Izuku tries to defend him, but Sasuke never wants to hear it. He can imagine how much more upset he’d be if he really knew what goes on while he isn’t around.

Izuku doesn’t even really understand it… Every time it happens, it surprises him. He can never pinpoint what he did wrong, only that he’s angered Kacchan. Again. And then he braces—

And the fist connects with his cheekbone.

He’s definitely not strong. So he flies back like he weighs nothing and sprawls onto the grass, dazed. For just a second, he feels like he’s floating. Like the clouds drifting across the big blue sky above him. How nice would it be to be those clouds right now… So far away from the world, way up high, flying around without a care. No fear.

Kacchan’s face looms over him, blocking out his view of the sky. “See, Deku? Even without a Quirk, beating you is painfully easy. Now imagine a Villain with a Quirk like super strength or the power to fly. You’d be toast.”

Once again, Kacchan is dedicating himself to convincing Izuku that he cannot be, will not be, ever, a Hero like All Might.

As if Izuku doesn’t already know.

“You should stop talking about All Might so much. Like you could ever be like him.” Kacchan smirks. “All Might always wins. You’re always in the dirt, so it’s pretty much hopeless for you. I, on the other hand, have a decent shot at becoming number one some day. Everyone says so.”

Izuku slowly, painstakingly pulls himself upright. His hand raises to press over his swelling left eye. With the other, he eyes the boy standing over him so confidently. Kacchan always seems like that. Unshakable. Immovable. The picture of strength. “I dunno. I think anybody can be a Hero if—”

“If what?” Kacchan laughs. “If they _try hard enough_? That’s like saying a fish can fly if it wishes it can, and tries hard enough to grow wings. It’s never gonna happen. Some people are just born stronger. That’s just the way it is.”

For a brief moment, Izuku remembers his mother crying after the doctor told him he would never have a Quirk. But then just last week, she told him to never give up. To never stop dreaming. She _told_ him, like she believed that maybe he could still do something. Be somebody. She made him want to try… He feels his eyes heat up with the sting of tears.

“Oh come on, Deku.” Kacchan rolls his eyes. “Don’t start crying again. You’re such a baby!”

“I’m not trying to…” Izuku whimpers, wiping at his eyes in hopes he can stop. It doesn’t help.

“You really can’t do anything right, can you?” Kacchan sneers. “Why do you even try anymore? It’s pathetic.”

“Because…” Because… why does he? He has a reason, doesn’t he? It’s so hard to think when he’s crying, when Kacchan is looking at him like that… like he’s stupid. Like he’s weak. Like he shouldn’t even breathe.

He thinks he has a reason… It’s a reason he’s told his mom time and time again. He’s told Sasuke, his teachers, anybody who will listen, but… but maybe it is pathetic. Maybe he should just… stop. It would make it less painful, wouldn’t it? At the very least, he would stop bothering people with it…

“Bakugou!” comes a familiar voice in an unfamiliar snarl from the edge of the park. Kacchan stands straighter, moves a step away from Izuku, and turns his glare onto whoever it is who just dared to actually _scold_ him.

Izuku looks too, through the tears, and his eyes widen. “S…Sasuke?”

Uchiha Sasuke marches up with the stormiest look on his pale face that Izuku’s ever seen. Sasuke’s usually so calm and reserved. Some people even call him snobby. Even when Kacchan has insulted him to his face in school, Sasuke’s never reacted. He says he doesn’t want to give Kacchan the satisfaction. Whatever that means…

But now. Boy, does he look angry. His lip is curling, showing his teeth, which never, _ever_ happens, even when Sasuke’s in a good mood.

“Wh… What did you hear?” Izuku stutters, afraid of where this unfamiliar anger came from.

“I heard enough, this ends now.” Despite his obvious anger, Sasuke approaches slowly. Almost casually. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that, dobe?” He steps into Kacchan’s personal space and glares into his eyes. Kacchan doesn’t move, even if he does look a little surprised.

The surprise doesn’t last long when he processes what Sasuke just called him though. Kacchan’s usual fury blossoms into a scowl. “What did you say!?”

“I know you might be stupid, but you’re not deaf.” Sasuke won’t look away, even when Kacchan grabs a fistful of his collar and jerks him so they’re nose to nose.

“Please don’t fight,” Izuku blurts, the last of his tears drying up in favor of a sudden wash of concern for his friends. Being beaten up himself, he can take. But he’s not sure what he’ll do if they start punching each other or something.

“You heard him,” Sasuke mutters.

Kacchan laughs, a cruel, humorless bark of a sound. “I don’t have to do a single thing this dumb nerd says. I’ll fight you if I wanna.”

Sasuke clicks his tongue. “I could dodge you all day, _dobe_.”

The rage intensifies, as does Kacchan’s grip. “Stop calling me that! You can dodge, sure, but when it comes down to it, that’s _all_ you can do. Congratulations, your Quirk makes you a great coward. All it does is make you good at running away!”

Faster than Izuku can blink, Sasuke raises his arms and actually _slaps_ Kacchan’s face between his hands. Hard. In the dumbfounded second that follows, Sasuke shoves the blond backwards, hard enough to knock him off his feet. He’s forced to release his grip on Sasuke’s shirt before he sprawls onto his back in the grass—just like Izuku had just minutes ago.

It’s strangely satisfying to watch. Izuku immediately feels guilty for even thinking that way. He just wants the fighting to stop…

It only takes three seconds for Kacchan to start scrambling back to his feet. Meanwhile, Sasuke grabs Izuku’s arm without saying another word, drags him to his feet, and gives him a light push toward the other side of the park, where he came from. Izuku glances back, alarmed by the idea that Sasuke intends to stay, only to breathe a sigh of relief to see the Uchiha following at his heels.

“You hit like a _girl_ , Uchiha!” Kacchan calls from behind, where he lingers still. He’s rubbing his face, the bridge of his nose flushed pink, but he doesn’t seem to be inclined to follow them. Which is odd, but Izuku’s not about to question it. If he stays behind, that means the fight is over and they can walk home in peace. Or mostly peace, since he knows Sasuke will ask and Izuku will probably not want to give him the answers he wants. He just wants to pretend none of this ever happened… like usual.

Sasuke pauses, glancing over his shoulder. “Good. My mom taught me how.”

His… mom? After a long, tense pause, Izuku actually smiles. Sasuke’s mom is teaching him how to fight… Just like Izuku’s mom is trying to teach him to be strong. Moms are amazing. Sasuke’s amazing.

Yeah… yeah, he is, isn't he? Sasuke’s just as amazing as Kacchan, despite what Kacchan says. And Sasuke’s actually a good friend.

When Sasuke starts moving again, Izuku falls into step beside him. Side by side, they exit the park and begin the trek home. It’s longer from here than it is from the playground… But Izuku doesn’t mind. Walking the distance will be much better in the company of someone who’s not making him feel small every step of the way. Somebody he can walk next to instead of behind.

It’s funny… Sasuke never walks ahead. He’s taller, his strides are longer—he’s been growing faster ever since he turned ten—but he always stays right beside Izuku when they walk, and sometimes he even makes Izuku go first.

That seems important, but Izuku’s not sure why yet.

The farther they go from the park, though, the more anxious Izuku gets. Sasuke hasn’t said anything yet… hasn’t asked anything. Hasn’t even insulted Kacchan or tried to puzzle through why Izuku calls him ‘a friend.’ The Uchiha’s too quiet.

Just as Izuku starts trying to think of things to say to break the silence, Sasuke finally speaks up.

“Everybody’s a genius,” he murmurs.

Izuku looks sidelong at him, blinks, and tilts his head. “W-What…?”

“Everybody’s a genius,” Sasuke repeats. “But if you judge a fish by whether or not it can climb a tree… it will live its whole life believing it’s stupid.”

Again, Izuku blinks, pondering the words. They’re definitely nice words… and how odd it is that Sasuke chose a story about a fish when Kacchan used the same animal to insult him before. But if Sasuke heard all that… maybe that’s why he did.

“It’s something Albert Einstein said once,” Sasuke finishes, hunching his shoulders and watching the ground under his feet. “I think it just means… not everybody works the same, but that doesn’t make them not special or strong. You shouldn’t try to be a bird if you’re a fish. You should work at getting super good at fish things.”

Izuku deflates a little. _Does that mean…_ “So I should… just focus on doing Quirkless things…”

“ _No!_ ” The aggression behind the word makes Izuku jump, and Sasuke’s face turns a little red, but he hurries to keep going, lowering his head to hide under his long black fringe. “You should… keep doing what you do best. Be a Hero your way, not the way other people think you should. Not the way Bakugou says you have to. They’re all wrong. The only person who can keep you from doing what you wanna do is you.”

For the longest moment, Izuku’s not sure he’s hearing this right. Nobody’s ever talked about it… about his problem the way that Sasuke is now. Nobody’s ever tried to tell him it’s _okay_ to be Quirkless. Much less to be Quirkless and still want to be a Hero.

It… feels nice.

“You’re a good person, Izuku.” Sasuke looks away, pouting a bit probably at just saying these kinds of things out loud. The more he says at this point, the more he seems to shrink into himself, growing less sure by the syllable. He’s always wanted to seem like he doesn’t care, even though to Izuku it’s obvious he does. “Good people become Heroes. _That’s_ just the way things are. So… if you wanna do it… go do it.”

More silence passes between them. Slowly, a smile spreads across Izuku’s face as he watches his friend walk along beside him, their steps in time with one another’s. Sasuke still won’t look at him, instead still using his bangs like curtains to shut him out, but Izuku knows he’s probably just blushing and just doesn’t want him to see. He’s shy like that. Sasuke’s not someone who just says nice things to say them… On the contrary, whatever he says, he usually means, even if afterwards, he finds his earnestness embarrassing.

So when he’s telling Izuku to go become a Hero, it’s not just to be nice, or to be a good friend. It’s because he expects Izuku to do just that.

His smile widens, and he allows himself to beam, even if Sasuke can’t see—even though he’s pretty sure he can.

“Thanks, Sasuke.”

**Author's Note:**

> Izuku calls Sasuke's anger 'unfamiliar.' Why? Because Izuku's not the only one keeping things from his friends...


End file.
